Sunday, January 10, 2010

A contact lens is basically a corrective or cosmetic lens placed in the cornea of an eye. For long-sighted or short-sighted people, contact lenses may serve as an alternative to wearing spectacles. On the other hand, cosmetic lenses which come in various colors and are able to enhance the beauty of the eyes can be used for everyone, including those with perfect vision. In my opinion, contact lenses cannot fully replace spectacles as opticians and eye practitioners usually do not recommend the wearing of contact lenses 24 hours a day. In addition, it is not advisable to wear contact lenses when swimming, even with goggles as this may cause eye infections.

There are 3 phases throughout the development of contact lenses- Glass contact lenses, hard plastic lenses, and soft contact lenses revolution (today). Throughout the 3 stages of development, the contact lenses were continually improved in terms of size, thickness, safety and comfort. The link below provides an in depth timeline and names of all the people involved in this creation.

Each person has their own reason for wearing contact lenses. It could be for beauty, practicability, comfort and many other different reasons. From my viewpoint, contact lenses are very practical for people who lead an active lifestyle as it helps improve vision during sports and prevents damage to spectacles. In terms of comfort, first time contact lenses users may feel awkward, but after about a week or so, it will probably feel as if there is nothing in the eyes.

Despite the many benefits of contact lenses, they also have some disadvantages. Firstly, you need to ensure that hands and nails are very clean and free from any dirt. This is because any dirt on the contact lenses can cause eye swelling and irritation. Apart from that, when you are in a hurry, wearing spectacles is much more convenient than wearing contact lenses.

Some safety precautions are to always wash hands and nails before wearing, never re-use the contact lens solution in the case, do not wear contact lens to sleep (unless it’s extended wear type), wear contact lenses before applying makeup and stop wearing lenses if you detect any discomfort.